Sotheby's Presents 'Magnificent & Noble Jewels' Auction

Lot 4 of Sotheby's Magnificent & Noble Jewels Auction. A gem set and diamond brooch, 'Ballerina', Van Cleef & Arpels, circa 1950. Courtesy Sotheby's.   Sotheby's Magnificent & Noble Jewels auction, held in Geneva on May 14th, provides an outstanding opportunity for jewelry collectors. Of course, there are so many to write about. Therefore, I've decided to write this post in three parts, this one focusing on the magnificent jewels featured in Session I.  

Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels

To qualify for Sotheby's magnificent jewels sales, a jewel must possess a provenance of prominence, a noteworthy gemstone, or hail from one of the most important jewelry ateliers in the world. Altogether, nearly 450 jewelry lots met this criteria. Many of them belonged to notable private collectors, some to titled men and women. Certainly, the majority carry the name of prominent jewelry firms, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, JAR, and more. All of these magnificent jewels feature gorgeous gemstones, sparkling diamonds, and lots and lots of gold! As usual, I find it difficult to choose which pieces to tell you about. Since I can only include a small percentage, I urge you to hop over and take a look at the catalog when you have a minute.  

Session I, Lots 1 - 188

Session 1 opens at 10:30am on May 14th, at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva. The auction opens with the Property of a Lady. This Lady clearly favored Van Cleef & Arpels, offering several lots from the prestigious firm. In particular, a beautiful diamond and blue sapphire brooch with matching earrings made in the 1960s. This Lady's lots also include a fair number of gorgeous jeweled wonders from the mid-century. Next, a private collector offers several magnificent pieces, including a diamond and emerald necklace, diamond and emerald earrings, a diamond ring, and a gorgeous ‘Feuillage’ diamond and emerald brooch by Cartier. Many magnificent pieces featuring natural pearls comprise the majority of lots 32 through 53. Then more Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier, with a splash of Bulgari. And of course, scads of diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. Bulgari takes center stage in lots 83 through 87, with four of the five offerings featuring lovely rose and purple tones from amethysts, tourmalines, purple sapphires, rubellite, and chalcedony. Throughout the session, other preeminent jewelers featured include Pederzani, Sabbadini, Boucheron, Piaget, Rene Boivin, Scavia. The curators even included a small selection of jeweled ladies wristwatches, including one by Constantin and one by Jaeger-Lecoultre. The final lots (177-188) belonged to a very important European Collector. The first four lots of this collector’s jewels were “made by family tradition” by Rene Sim Lacaze. The remaining lots in this session are by Van Cleef & Arpels. Apparently, Lacaze was a close friend of this collector's family.  

Rene Sim Lacaze

Rene Lacaze hailed from Paris in the early 1900s. He grew up surrounded by artistry in his mother's dressmaking atelier. A family friend, a jewelry trader, introduced him to the world of jewelry through tales of his many adventures collecting gems and jewelry from around the world. Rene apprenticed at the Parisian jewelry workshop Atelier Mentel, which made jewels for Cartier, Boucheron, and Janesich. In 1926, he became the artistic and design director for Van Cleef & Arpels. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Rene worked closely with Renee Puissant, daughter of Estelle and Alfred Arpels. Under the force of their collaboration, Van Cleef & Arpels fully embraced the motifs of the Art Deco movement. A number of Van Cleef & Arpels' most iconic designs trace back to this dynamic duo. These include the Minaudiere, the Ludo bracelet, and the Serti Mysterieux. In the 1930s, they also ran with an idea posited by the Duchess of Windsor, the Zip necklace. During World War II, Lacaze left Van Cleef & Arpels. Eventually, he joined up with Mauboussin, while at the same time launching his own line of jewels. He received numerous commissions from important jewelers, including Cartier, Harry Winston, and Sterle. At the age of 99, Lacaze passed away, leaving behind an incredible body of inspiring jewelry designs. Of course, you'll want to take a peek at these special jewels by Lacaze. Specifically, lots 177 through 180. ~Angela Magnotti Andrews